She was to marry Collins. The horrible truth sank in.
He tried not to imagine Elizabeth in Mr. Collins’ arms. The idea disgusted him so much his stomach revolted. To think of that man’s thick clumsy hands touching her body—
It was not to be borne. How would she endure such a man, day after day? He could not be in the same room with that toady for more than a few minutes, let alone be stuck with him for a lifetime.
But what could he do?
There was a rock in Darcy’s stomach. A huge boulder with sharp edges that jabbed into him and caused agonizing pain. The very thought of that despicable little man stealing away Elizabeth from him, his thick fingers touching Elizabeth’s body made Darcy ill.
To make matters worse, Darcy would have to see them together whenever he went to visit Lady Catherine. He would have to be polite to her and endure the sight of her bearing the loathsome man’s children.
Something began to niggle at Darcy, and he sat up straight, his mind racing.
Why had there been no mention of the engagement earlier? No talk of a double wedding during dinner? No blushing on Elizabeth’s part and no exclamations from Mrs. Bennet? Even if Elizabeth’s mother was disappointed that Collins was not marrying Lydia, surely she would have been eager to mention that another of her daughters was getting married.
He pondered this for several minutes, swinging back and forth, the branch creaking rhythmically under his weight.
If anyone was to marry her, it would have to be him. Fitzwilliam Darcy, of Pemberley, Derbyshire.
No announcement had been made. There was still a chance.
He would have to find Elizabeth and talk to her.
Chapter 11
“You are sitting inmy swing, Mr. Darcy.”
He was startled when a shadow detached itself from the trunk of another tree and appeared before him. Even if she had not spoken, her outline against the light inside the house was unmistakable.
He stepped down from the swing at once. He could not afford to offend her, not when nothing had been resolved between them, and this one was a very easy thing to resolve.
“I did not mean to take your place,” he said.
He sounded stiff and awkward, insecure about his reception. He had everything to lose if Elizabeth refused to talk to him.
To his relief, she did not go away. She sat on the swing he had vacated. Unlike him, he noticed, she kept her feet firmly on the ground and sat motionless.
